Think Outside the Book

Creative Thinking beyond the Box

That’s clever and effective marketing from the Burlington library.

                  

Why?

 
1.     They took a tired phrase “Think Outside the Box” and twisted it to suit their message.

2.     They displayed an image of a young couple enjoy reading together.

3.     The couple is reading on a tablet to demonstrate the digital services available.

4.     This ad is on the side of their truck which means no monthly ad fees.

5.     The colours at the top of the image are eye-catching.

If you are still thinking outside the box - you are NOT thinking. You're simply repeating.

Think Outside the Book

Bravo Burlington Public Library!

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Best Marketing Advice for Marketing on an Embarassing Budget

This list from Carol Roth includes 39 creative tips on how to market your business on an embarasslingly limited budget.

Number 32 on the list is from me (George Torok). It's the shortest tip on the list and perhaps the most practical and effective, (in my opinion - you decide).

32. Write the Magic Words

Hand write and send thank you notes to your clients, associates and the media. The other note to send is congratulations. This is unusual, personal and thus, memorable.

Some of the other tips that stand out are:

1. Karma Pays

Two words: help people. Be it via written content, through social media, at local networking events - whatever opportunity you have to help your target consumer base, take it - and put your all into it. People want to help good people. You'd be surprised how much "free" word of mouth you can get your business simply by showing you're the kind of person who helps others without any strings attached. It's certainly worked for me. Karma- it pays.

Thanks to: Rae Hoffman of Sugarrae.

5. On a Budget? Be Controversial!

When I say 'controversial' I mean say something unexpected to get people to talk. Take the government shut down. In a sea of "Democrats are wrong!" and "Republicans are wrong!" suddenly your message is, "Here's why the shutdown is great!". It instantly stands out and provokes discussion, passes on links, possible media queries and so on, all for free. Of course, make sure that you can back up your claims and that they match your business model. It's amazing marketing on a budget, and one I always use.

Thanks to: David Weber of Learn About Flow.

13. Tell a Story in Six Seconds

As a bootstrapping startup in the legal field, it has been both challenging and exciting to come up with scrappy marketing techniques. One of the best pieces of advice for marketing on a budget I've seen is using Vine for a Q & A session.

Gary Vaynerchuk said it best, "Time is our biggest asset. What Vine does, is it gives you a promise that this is only six seconds of your time."

Find a creative way to tell a story to your market in six seconds.

Thanks to: Janine Holsinger of NextChapter.

23. Videos Grab Attention

YouTube is the second most searched site on the internet. Create a promo-video yourself on the cheap by using MS Movie Maker or go to fiverr.com and get a video produced for only $5-$20 depending on length and quality.

The promo video can then be placed on your website. QR codes (done for free) can drive people to your video and you can use the video for social campaigns - then, get it transcribed and pdf'd, cut out the voice/music for a podcast. Leverage one video into multi-usable content.

Thanks to: Curtis Chappell of Quantum SEO Solutions.

If you like these and want to read more visit The Best Marketing Advice

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Market Yourself as The expert

As a small business how do you compete with the big guys and their big budget advertising campaign? The big guys don't read this magazine so we can share these low budget yet high-impact marketing secrets with you.

Use these tips to market yourself as the expert in your field.

1. Write tips sheets - for your clients, prospects and the media.
2. Write and publish articles in magazines, newsletters and newspapers.
3. Write letters to the editor expressing opinions, advice and clarification.
4. Publish your own newsletter.
5. Write a book - the best way to be seen as the expert.
6. Send out regular news releases.
7. Be interviewed by the press.
8. Sponsor a contest or award.
9. Make speeches to service clubs and associations.
10. Offer information seminars to prospects and clients.
11. Stay informed and leading edge on your area of expertise.
12. Offer your clients extra 'free advice from the expert'.
13. Earn designations and awards from your industry or trade associations.
14. Seek out the top experts in your field - know and get known by them.
15. Act, sound and feel like the expert you want to be - confidence is powerful.
16. Find a mentor you admire who can help you and make introductions.
17. Seek out leaders in other businesses to trade ideas and do joint promotions with - we judge you by who you hang around with.

Why market yourself as the expert? Clients come to you and you can charge more money.

Excerpted from the national bestseller, Secrets of Power Marketing.



George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Good Customer Service is the Best Marketing

Enjoy this interview with Customer Service strategist, Jeff Mowatt.




George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Blog - Questions and Answers

Why should you have a blog?

It is another marketing channel for you. It can be efficient and effective. It is easy to use and it can be free. See below on how to create your blog.

What is a blog?

It is a special type of website. It has the software that allows you to write and post information quickly without knowing anything about HTML programming. Why is that important? It helps you build and test your blog easily and quickly.

Where did it come from?

The word "blog" is derived from "web log". Web logs originated as an easy way for people to write personal logs, rants and beliefs on the web. Now blogs are gaining acceptance as a business tool. Don't let the origin fool you. Remember - personal computers started as games. And just because millions of teenagers have cell phones doesn't make the cell phone insignificant as a business tool.

What can a blog do for you?

Think of a blog as a communications tool. Now think about whom you might want to communicate with. Perhaps you want to reach customers, clients, investors, media, staff, and/or the market place. With diverse groups like these it's best to create a blog specific to each group and message that you want to send. I have five blogs and each serves a different purpose.

The nature of blogs?

The blogosphere is rapidly changing. Technorati, a leading blog search engine, reports that over 75,000 blogs are created every day. As more blogs are hatched enterprising bloggers will become more creative.

Most blogs contain short articles - called posts. Short means anywhere from 50 to 500 words. There are no rules but people who read blogs prefer the short posts.
You want them to visit your blog often. You encourage that by posting short articles and posting often. How often? It is up to you. The best blogs post a couple times a week. I post two to three times a week.

Blog posts tend to be informal. That can help you because most websites are rather formal and cold. If you are wondering how your website feels read the post on my blog titled "About Us". Informal writing allows you to establish a better rapport with your readers. They might feel a bond with you. Be warned - informal doesn't mean sloppy nor crass. Just let a little of who you are show through. And it is easier to do this with a series of 100 word posts than a 2,000 report.

What might you write on your blog?

First decide on the overall purpose of your blog. It is okay to change later. Feedback might help you refocus. Product and service tips for your customers. Company, product and industry news. News about your customers. Customer feedback. Questions and answers - like this article. Reviews, excerpts or comments from books or other articles. Your insights and perspective on trends, challenges and achievements. Interviews - see samples at http://businessinmotion.blogspot.com/

Why use a blog instead of a regular website?

You should still maintain your regular website. But you know how long it takes to update your website and how much it costs you. With a blog you can update it instantly - at no or little cost. It will take a little time to write. A short post on your website might look lost but that is the de rigor of blogs. Once you start you will be surprised at the things that stimulate new posting ideas. I recommend that you write several postings at one sitting then forward that to an editor or proofreader for correction and posting.

Why do search engines like blogs?

The regular search engines also find and list blogs. Google my name and notice the blog listings. In addition, there is a separate group of directories and search engines just for blogs. Each time you post to your blog it automatically updates the blog directory for your latest post. Plus you can "ping" a couple dozen of the major blog directories from pingomatic.com

Google likes websites with relevant content. That's why you target your key message.
Google likes sites with many relevant pages. Every post to your blog automatically becomes a new webpage. So as you post you are building a rapidly growing website.
Google likes sites that are updated often. That's why you post at least once or twice a week.

And here is another bonus. By linking to your main website from your blog you also boost the search status of your website. If Google likes your blog it will like the relevant sites that you link to.

Where do you start?

There are many providers of blogs - some free and some for a fee. Start with a free one to test and learn. I suggest you try Blogger.com. It is free, easy to use and considered the largest. Bonus, Google owns it so you know your blog will get noticed by Google. If after you try it you decide you don't want the blog you can easily delete it.

I suggest that you view some other blogs before you start to get some ideas. Search for blogs from your industry, competitors and suppliers. Also look at blogs from entirely different industries - that's where you will find fresh ideas.

The mistake?

The mistake is to start a blog, use it incorrectly and write off blogs. Like every tool understand the purpose, learn the fundamentals and develop skills. At some point you might need to upgrade your skills, delegate the task or hire an expert.

What should you do now?

Maybe a blog isn't right for you. And maybe it is. Can you afford not to check it out?



George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Shoestring Marketing: Where to Save and Where Not

Time to save money on your marketing? How can you do that and still get effective results? First, avoid five big mistakes that many make. Then use the nine techniques waiting for you below.

Not
In your attempt to save costs don't cut in these areas:

Value
Never try to save money by cutting the value of your product to your customer. If you reduce value they will expect a corresponding price reduction at the very least.

Quality
Never sacrifice quality to save money. Be clear on what quality means to your customers. The best definition of quality is 'meeting expectations'. Your customers got quality if they got what they expected. Quality is neither about price nor cost. Saturn, Toyota and Rolls Royce are all quality cars.

Speed
Never try to save money by making your customers wait longer. They will never have more time.

Cheapest deal
Going cheap is not a good way to save money. Cheap looks and feels cheap. Don't send your marketing messages that feel cheap. Instead pick your marketing channels and hunt for the best deal - not the cheapest. There is no point in printing your business cards on the cheapest paper.

Core benefit
Never trim from the core benefit of your product in your attempt to save money. Whatever the main reason they buy your product - don't you dare reduce that. That is like cutting bone.


How to Save
You can use these methods to help you save money on your marketing:

Barter
The oldest form of commerce - trade food for animal hides. You can try two approaches to barter. You can trade directly with your supplier or customer. For example you might trade some of your product with a publisher for ad space in their publication. The drawback to this form of barter is that you both must want and need what the other has. You might barter the whole amount or have a mixed deal of cash and barter.

Another form of barter is through one of the many barter companies. They form a relationship with many companies. Any one of the barter group can buy your product with their barter dollars. You can then spend those barter dollars with some other member of the barter group to buy what you need.

Co-op
If you are part of a larger group such as a franchise you can get advertising subsidy from your franchiser to help you promote their name and your business. Grocery stores and bookstores also use this technique to get money from their suppliers to allocate premium shelf space to those who pay for it. If you sell or distribute for a manufacturer you might be able to arrange co-op support from them.

Ask customers
This is so simple that many overlook it. Ask your customers what they've noticed that you could eliminate that has no significant value to them. For example I noticed my local bank renovating the branch every few years. That added zero value to me. I wish they would stop it.

Buy when others are not
Buy your marketing services when demand is low. Most printers are very slow in July and August. If you offer to buy at that time you might get a lower price, faster service or even more value.
A company president was planning a national conference in a prime location. He asked a big hotel, "When is your slowest week of the year?" He then offered to book that week for his conference and asked for a deal. He got it and they got the business.

Partner
Share a promotion with another company that also markets to your customers. You can split the costs of your promotion. You can offer to promote their product at your business while they do the same for you. You can offer your product as a prize in their contest promotion. You might trade referrals or give testimonials for each other.

Work with a charity
You could donate time, product or resources to a charity. They might recognize you in their signage, printed material or with a nice letter. When you work with a charity you benefit from the goodwill you create among your customers and the community. You might also get some free media coverage in the process.

Negotiate
You can get more from your marketing if you just negotiate with your suppliers and customers. Negotiation is a skill not a talent so it can be learned and honed. Read a few good books and take a course on negotiation to become a superior negotiator. You will learn the different gambits, styles and strategies of negotiating.

Be creative
Look for unusual promotions in other industries and find a way to make it work for you. Being creative does not mean being original. Borrow ideas from around you. The best way to get creative ideas about your business is to talk to people who know nothing about your business. For how to generate more creative ideas try using SCAMPER as described in "Secrets of Power Marketing" and at www.Torok.com/

Offer something more important than money
You might save on your marketing by offering your suppliers and customers something that they value more than money. What could that be? Depending on their situation it could be using your name as a reference, access to information, exposure to new markets, referrals, new technology, time to relax, etc..

Spend carefully and be creative in stretching your shoestring marketing budget.


George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Put a Little Joy in Someone's Life

Marketing Speaker Geoff Ramm is on the street hunting down powerful marketing in action. Look how simple this marketing is and listen to the owner's reasoning. I like it. And thanks to Geoff Ramm.







George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter